ETHOS Grooming Essentials A New Line

Update:

I wanted to let you know that for the last 5 months behind the scenes  I’ve been working with a certified organic chemist and certified cosmetic chemist who I’ve been working with for the last 20 plus years along with one of if not the largest skincare & hair care ingredient companies in the world.. The same company that myself my chemist friend and the company’s development team worked on to develop what is my  EOS Complex, which is a whole other story. I’ll share one of these days.

After much studying and contemplating  I came to the conclusion and made a decision to dive head first into serious skincare products that combine both the best natural ingredients along with the latest technically advanced man made active  environmentally friendly ingredients. 
So as a result of this I’ll be adding a few new serums, lotions and other products to the ETHOS product line up. The only two serums that I currently offer that are staying in the ETHOS product line up but have been slightly modified are the Remede serums for both Normal and Dry skin. All the others will no longer be on the website or at my vendors. Those two serums are oil based as you know and there are skin types that need them.  All the other serums that will be coming down the pipeline will be brand new and very specific in their purpose. I’ll be doing an in depth explanation on them as their released.

When I started on this journey into making wet shaving products a couple of years ago coming from being a product developer in the personal care industry I made a decision that if I was going to get into it that I would bring  skincare technology to the wet shaving community. Something I didn’t see happening at the time and thought was much needed.  Remember I have been a wet shaving hobbyist for about 20 years and used all the same products that you do but being a product developer I always knew there was much more out there that was literally unseen in wet shaving products. 

Yes there are benefits that are gotten by the butters & oils found in shave soaps with some having more than others as I’m sure you’ve experienced and the same goes for some of the shave balms but all the formulas I’ve seen were what I call surface dwellers. Meaning ingredients that only address the epidermal layer of the skin. A good thing in most cases but these are only temporary benefits. Kind of like using Vaseline hand lotion on dry hands. Yes does it make your hands feel soft, but does it do anything to actually improve the condition of the skin? The answer to that is no it doesn’t as it doesn’t contain any active ingredients but rather very large molecular weight surface dwelling ingredients.  Once washed off, the hands will be no different than before you used it. Ingredients that address the Dermis layer of the skin are what’s needed to improve the skin when used on a continuous basis. An their are so many variables based on age, skin types, skin issues etc. So that’s why there is a need for a variety of specific to the skin type products to choose from.

This needs to be said . A shave soap can only do so much for skin improvement. Yes can you add active ingredients that will address the Dermis layer into a shave soap formula? Absolutely that’s why my shave soaps contain the EOS Complex which is loaded with them and I also add other skin beneficial ingredients to my soap bases as well.  An the real benefits of those ingredients can be felt with continuous usage. The majority of shave soaps out there do not contain these types of ingredients but mostly rely on the butters & oils which are often related to what most call “ Post Shave “  but there again these are surface dwelling ingredients that make your skin feel soft but it’s only temporary, much like the hand cream scenario I mentioned before.  An heck lately I’m seeing shave soaps containing silicones like Dimethicone and even Polymers. These will give your skin a very smooth hand feel and I’ve seen many reviews saying the post shave is amazing on these products when in reality these ingredients again are surface dwellers that do little or nothing to help improve the skin. In fact some can in the long run can cause other skin issues just like they do in haircare where the hair gets a build up of them which can cause, flyaway hair, dryness, brittleness, build up not allowing much needed moisture in which in many cases results in hair breakage. This is especially true when combined with the use of hot tools like blow dryers and hot curling irons and straightening irons. Silicones are in so many hair products nowadays and basically a cheap alternative to more expensive high quality natural oils.

Also another senecio. Let’s take shampoo and compare it to Shave soap. What’s the main purpose of shampoo?  It’s simply to cleanse the hair and scalp! Can conditioning ingredients be added to the shampoo? The answer is yes. Will those conditioning ingredients work as well as a stand alone hair conditioner or hair treatment? The answer is nope, not even close. Reason is the cleansing surfactants basically counter act those ingredients and in many cases just wash them down the drain along with the lather.  So can a Shave soap provide the same skin benefits as a stand along skin lotion, cream, serum, treatment? The simple answer is no it can not in comparison.

So that’s why I feel that although I’ve added about as much active skin beneficial ingredients into my soaps without going down the path of relying on just over super fatting or using things like silicones or any other surface dwelling temporary feel good ingredients. As my main focus is on post shave products that bring the maximum skin improving ingredients for all types of skin and skin needs to the wet shaving community.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my long explanation but I thought it was time to not only announce my plans on future products but also to add some info based on information known in the scientific world of skin and hair care.

So lastly I need a little input as I’m going back and forth on the glass bottles to put these products in. Some will be in the glass serum bottles I have already been using but some need to be in a slightly smaller bottle so I can keep prices to a reasonable level.

So below are two photos of bottles I’m considering and they are both 1.7 oz size. The photos are showing them with sprayers on them but they will have serum or lotion pumps on them in the sliver brushed Aluminum as that’s associated with the ETHOS brand.

So what one do you guys like better and why?


Thank you and great shaves! 

I prefer the rectangular shaped bottle as it will be easier to shelve multiple bottles next to each other if space is tight.

Update:

I wanted to let you know that for the last 5 months behind the scenes  I’ve been working with a certified organic chemist and certified cosmetic chemist who I’ve been working with for the last 20 plus years along with one of if not the largest skincare & hair care ingredient companies in the world.. The same company that myself my chemist friend and the company’s development team worked on to develop what is my  EOS Complex, which is a whole other story. I’ll share one of these days.

After much studying and contemplating  I came to the conclusion and made a decision to dive head first into serious skincare products that combine both the best natural ingredients along with the latest technically advanced man made active  environmentally friendly ingredients. 
So as a result of this I’ll be adding a few new serums, lotions and other products to the ETHOS product line up. The only two serums that I currently offer that are staying in the ETHOS product line up but have been slightly modified are the Remede serums for both Normal and Dry skin. All the others will no longer be on the website or at my vendors. Those two serums are oil based as you know and there are skin types that need them.  All the other serums that will be coming down the pipeline will be brand new and very specific in their purpose. I’ll be doing an in depth explanation on them as their released.

When I started on this journey into making wet shaving products a couple of years ago coming from being a product developer in the personal care industry I made a decision that if I was going to get into it that I would bring  skincare technology to the wet shaving community. Something I didn’t see happening at the time and thought was much needed.  Remember I have been a wet shaving hobbyist for about 20 years and used all the same products that you do but being a product developer I always knew there was much more out there that was literally unseen in wet shaving products. 

Yes there are benefits that are gotten by the butters & oils found in shave soaps with some having more than others as I’m sure you’ve experienced and the same goes for some of the shave balms but all the formulas I’ve seen were what I call surface dwellers. Meaning ingredients that only address the epidermal layer of the skin. A good thing in most cases but these are only temporary benefits. Kind of like using Vaseline hand lotion on dry hands. Yes does it make your hands feel soft, but does it do anything to actually improve the condition of the skin? The answer to that is no it doesn’t as it doesn’t contain any active ingredients but rather very large molecular weight surface dwelling ingredients.  Once washed off, the hands will be no different than before you used it. Ingredients that address the Dermis layer of the skin are what’s needed to improve the skin when used on a continuous basis. An their are so many variables based on age, skin types, skin issues etc. So that’s why there is a need for a variety of specific to the skin type products to choose from.

This needs to be said . A shave soap can only do so much for skin improvement. Yes can you add active ingredients that will address the Dermis layer into a shave soap formula? Absolutely that’s why my shave soaps contain the EOS Complex which is loaded with them and I also add other skin beneficial ingredients to my soap bases as well.  An the real benefits of those ingredients can be felt with continuous usage. The majority of shave soaps out there do not contain these types of ingredients but mostly rely on the butters & oils which are often related to what most call “ Post Shave “  but there again these are surface dwelling ingredients that make your skin feel soft but it’s only temporary, much like the hand cream scenario I mentioned before.  An heck lately I’m seeing shave soaps containing silicones like Dimethicone and even Polymers. These will give your skin a very smooth hand feel and I’ve seen many reviews saying the post shave is amazing on these products when in reality these ingredients again are surface dwellers that do little or nothing to help improve the skin. In fact some can in the long run can cause other skin issues just like they do in haircare where the hair gets a build up of them which can cause, flyaway hair, dryness, brittleness, build up not allowing much needed moisture in which in many cases results in hair breakage. This is especially true when combined with the use of hot tools like blow dryers and hot curling irons and straightening irons. Silicones are in so many hair products nowadays and basically a cheap alternative to more expensive high quality natural oils.

Also another senecio. Let’s take shampoo and compare it to Shave soap. What’s the main purpose of shampoo?  It’s simply to cleanse the hair and scalp! Can conditioning ingredients be added to the shampoo? The answer is yes. Will those conditioning ingredients work as well as a stand alone hair conditioner or hair treatment? The answer is nope, not even close. Reason is the cleansing surfactants basically counter act those ingredients and in many cases just wash them down the drain along with the lather.  So can a Shave soap provide the same skin benefits as a stand along skin lotion, cream, serum, treatment? The simple answer is no it can not in comparison.

So that’s why I feel that although I’ve added about as much active skin beneficial ingredients into my soaps without going down the path of relying on just over super fatting or using things like silicones or any other surface dwelling temporary feel good ingredients. As  my main focus is on post shave products that bring the maximum skin improving ingredients for all types of skin and skin needs to the wet shaving community.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my long explanation but I thought it was time to not only announce my plans on future products but also to add some info based on information known in the scientific world of skin and hair care.

So lastly I need a little input as I’m going back and forth on the glass bottles to put these products in. Some will be in the glass serum bottles I have already been using but some need to be in a slightly smaller bottle so I can keep prices to a reasonable level.

So below are two photos of bottles  I’m considering and they are both 1.7 oz size. The photos are showing them with sprayers on them but they will have serum or lotion pumps on them in the sliver brushed Aluminum as that’s associated with the ETHOS brand.

So what one do you guys like better and why?


Thank you and great shaves! 

That sounds like truly a landmark announcement to me.  Post shave feel will be substantially more addressed by separate, non-soap products that affect more than the surface skin layer and do not get washed away by surfactants and other ingredients that shaving soaps require.  I appreciate the detailed explanation of different strategies that vendors use to achieve desired post shave feel - or the fleeting illusion of it. 

As always, best of luck Frank.


PS  IMO and with all due respect, the bottles are the secondary content of your post Frank.  That said, I also prefer the square bottle, and for the same reason Darktrader.

Update:

I wanted to let you know that for the last 5 months behind the scenes  I’ve been working with a certified organic chemist and certified cosmetic chemist who I’ve been working with for the last 20 plus years along with one of if not the largest skincare & hair care ingredient companies in the world.. The same company that myself my chemist friend and the company’s development team worked on to develop what is my  EOS Complex, which is a whole other story. I’ll share one of these days.

After much studying and contemplating  I came to the conclusion and made a decision to dive head first into serious skincare products that combine both the best natural ingredients along with the latest technically advanced man made active  environmentally friendly ingredients. 
So as a result of this I’ll be adding a few new serums, lotions and other products to the ETHOS product line up. The only two serums that I currently offer that are staying in the ETHOS product line up but have been slightly modified are the Remede serums for both Normal and Dry skin. All the others will no longer be on the website or at my vendors. Those two serums are oil based as you know and there are skin types that need them.  All the other serums that will be coming down the pipeline will be brand new and very specific in their purpose. I’ll be doing an in depth explanation on them as their released.

When I started on this journey into making wet shaving products a couple of years ago coming from being a product developer in the personal care industry I made a decision that if I was going to get into it that I would bring  skincare technology to the wet shaving community. Something I didn’t see happening at the time and thought was much needed.  Remember I have been a wet shaving hobbyist for about 20 years and used all the same products that you do but being a product developer I always knew there was much more out there that was literally unseen in wet shaving products. 

Yes there are benefits that are gotten by the butters & oils found in shave soaps with some having more than others as I’m sure you’ve experienced and the same goes for some of the shave balms but all the formulas I’ve seen were what I call surface dwellers. Meaning ingredients that only address the epidermal layer of the skin. A good thing in most cases but these are only temporary benefits. Kind of like using Vaseline hand lotion on dry hands. Yes does it make your hands feel soft, but does it do anything to actually improve the condition of the skin? The answer to that is no it doesn’t as it doesn’t contain any active ingredients but rather very large molecular weight surface dwelling ingredients.  Once washed off, the hands will be no different than before you used it. Ingredients that address the Dermis layer of the skin are what’s needed to improve the skin when used on a continuous basis. An their are so many variables based on age, skin types, skin issues etc. So that’s why there is a need for a variety of specific to the skin type products to choose from.

This needs to be said . A shave soap can only do so much for skin improvement. Yes can you add active ingredients that will address the Dermis layer into a shave soap formula? Absolutely that’s why my shave soaps contain the EOS Complex which is loaded with them and I also add other skin beneficial ingredients to my soap bases as well.  An the real benefits of those ingredients can be felt with continuous usage. The majority of shave soaps out there do not contain these types of ingredients but mostly rely on the butters & oils which are often related to what most call “ Post Shave “  but there again these are surface dwelling ingredients that make your skin feel soft but it’s only temporary, much like the hand cream scenario I mentioned before.  An heck lately I’m seeing shave soaps containing silicones like Dimethicone and even Polymers. These will give your skin a very smooth hand feel and I’ve seen many reviews saying the post shave is amazing on these products when in reality these ingredients again are surface dwellers that do little or nothing to help improve the skin. In fact some can in the long run can cause other skin issues just like they do in haircare where the hair gets a build up of them which can cause, flyaway hair, dryness, brittleness, build up not allowing much needed moisture in which in many cases results in hair breakage. This is especially true when combined with the use of hot tools like blow dryers and hot curling irons and straightening irons. Silicones are in so many hair products nowadays and basically a cheap alternative to more expensive high quality natural oils.

Also another senecio. Let’s take shampoo and compare it to Shave soap. What’s the main purpose of shampoo?  It’s simply to cleanse the hair and scalp! Can conditioning ingredients be added to the shampoo? The answer is yes. Will those conditioning ingredients work as well as a stand alone hair conditioner or hair treatment? The answer is nope, not even close. Reason is the cleansing surfactants basically counter act those ingredients and in many cases just wash them down the drain along with the lather.  So can a Shave soap provide the same skin benefits as a stand along skin lotion, cream, serum, treatment? The simple answer is no it can not in comparison.

So that’s why I feel that although I’ve added about as much active skin beneficial ingredients into my soaps without going down the path of relying on just over super fatting or using things like silicones or any other surface dwelling temporary feel good ingredients. As  my main focus is on post shave products that bring the maximum skin improving ingredients for all types of skin and skin needs to the wet shaving community.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my long explanation but I thought it was time to not only announce my plans on future products but also to add some info based on information known in the scientific world of skin and hair care.

So lastly I need a little input as I’m going back and forth on the glass bottles to put these products in. Some will be in the glass serum bottles I have already been using but some need to be in a slightly smaller bottle so I can keep prices to a reasonable level.

So below are two photos of bottles  I’m considering and they are both 1.7 oz size. The photos are showing them with sprayers on them but they will have serum or lotion pumps on them in the sliver brushed Aluminum as that’s associated with the ETHOS brand.

So what one do you guys like better and why?


Thank you and great shaves! 

Always the dissenting voice: round as it projects higher quality image, frosted to boot maybe embossed vs labeled....

I’d vote for the rectangle bottle. I like the premium, high quality fragrance vibe it visually communicates. In addition to the ease of storage. The round to me looks like some mass produced cheap swill from KMart..

Gimme the swill!! I like the round bottle.

Now Frank, these new lotions you're preparing, are they related to the skin care blend you sent me a sample of a couple months ago? That stuff is fantastic. It goes deep down into my skin and makes it feel good to the bone. I'd definitely be interested in more of that.

I prefer the rectangular shaped bottle as it will be easier to shelve multiple bottles next to each other if space is tight.

Update:

I wanted to let you know that for the last 5 months behind the scenes  I’ve been working with a certified organic chemist and certified cosmetic chemist who I’ve been working with for the last 20 plus years along with one of if not the largest skincare & hair care ingredient companies in the world.. The same company that myself my chemist friend and the company’s development team worked on to develop what is my  EOS Complex, which is a whole other story. I’ll share one of these days.

After much studying and contemplating  I came to the conclusion and made a decision to dive head first into serious skincare products that combine both the best natural ingredients along with the latest technically advanced man made active  environmentally friendly ingredients. 
So as a result of this I’ll be adding a few new serums, lotions and other products to the ETHOS product line up. The only two serums that I currently offer that are staying in the ETHOS product line up but have been slightly modified are the Remede serums for both Normal and Dry skin. All the others will no longer be on the website or at my vendors. Those two serums are oil based as you know and there are skin types that need them.  All the other serums that will be coming down the pipeline will be brand new and very specific in their purpose. I’ll be doing an in depth explanation on them as their released.

When I started on this journey into making wet shaving products a couple of years ago coming from being a product developer in the personal care industry I made a decision that if I was going to get into it that I would bring  skincare technology to the wet shaving community. Something I didn’t see happening at the time and thought was much needed.  Remember I have been a wet shaving hobbyist for about 20 years and used all the same products that you do but being a product developer I always knew there was much more out there that was literally unseen in wet shaving products. 

Yes there are benefits that are gotten by the butters & oils found in shave soaps with some having more than others as I’m sure you’ve experienced and the same goes for some of the shave balms but all the formulas I’ve seen were what I call surface dwellers. Meaning ingredients that only address the epidermal layer of the skin. A good thing in most cases but these are only temporary benefits. Kind of like using Vaseline hand lotion on dry hands. Yes does it make your hands feel soft, but does it do anything to actually improve the condition of the skin? The answer to that is no it doesn’t as it doesn’t contain any active ingredients but rather very large molecular weight surface dwelling ingredients.  Once washed off, the hands will be no different than before you used it. Ingredients that address the Dermis layer of the skin are what’s needed to improve the skin when used on a continuous basis. An their are so many variables based on age, skin types, skin issues etc. So that’s why there is a need for a variety of specific to the skin type products to choose from.

This needs to be said . A shave soap can only do so much for skin improvement. Yes can you add active ingredients that will address the Dermis layer into a shave soap formula? Absolutely that’s why my shave soaps contain the EOS Complex which is loaded with them and I also add other skin beneficial ingredients to my soap bases as well.  An the real benefits of those ingredients can be felt with continuous usage. The majority of shave soaps out there do not contain these types of ingredients but mostly rely on the butters & oils which are often related to what most call “ Post Shave “  but there again these are surface dwelling ingredients that make your skin feel soft but it’s only temporary, much like the hand cream scenario I mentioned before.  An heck lately I’m seeing shave soaps containing silicones like Dimethicone and even Polymers. These will give your skin a very smooth hand feel and I’ve seen many reviews saying the post shave is amazing on these products when in reality these ingredients again are surface dwellers that do little or nothing to help improve the skin. In fact some can in the long run can cause other skin issues just like they do in haircare where the hair gets a build up of them which can cause, flyaway hair, dryness, brittleness, build up not allowing much needed moisture in which in many cases results in hair breakage. This is especially true when combined with the use of hot tools like blow dryers and hot curling irons and straightening irons. Silicones are in so many hair products nowadays and basically a cheap alternative to more expensive high quality natural oils.

Also another senecio. Let’s take shampoo and compare it to Shave soap. What’s the main purpose of shampoo?  It’s simply to cleanse the hair and scalp! Can conditioning ingredients be added to the shampoo? The answer is yes. Will those conditioning ingredients work as well as a stand alone hair conditioner or hair treatment? The answer is nope, not even close. Reason is the cleansing surfactants basically counter act those ingredients and in many cases just wash them down the drain along with the lather.  So can a Shave soap provide the same skin benefits as a stand along skin lotion, cream, serum, treatment? The simple answer is no it can not in comparison.

So that’s why I feel that although I’ve added about as much active skin beneficial ingredients into my soaps without going down the path of relying on just over super fatting or using things like silicones or any other surface dwelling temporary feel good ingredients. As  my main focus is on post shave products that bring the maximum skin improving ingredients for all types of skin and skin needs to the wet shaving community.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my long explanation but I thought it was time to not only announce my plans on future products but also to add some info based on information known in the scientific world of skin and hair care.

So lastly I need a little input as I’m going back and forth on the glass bottles to put these products in. Some will be in the glass serum bottles I have already been using but some need to be in a slightly smaller bottle so I can keep prices to a reasonable level.

So below are two photos of bottles  I’m considering and they are both 1.7 oz size. The photos are showing them with sprayers on them but they will have serum or lotion pumps on them in the sliver brushed Aluminum as that’s associated with the ETHOS brand.

So what one do you guys like better and why?


Thank you and great shaves! 

That sounds like truly a landmark announcement to me.  Post shave feel will be substantially more addressed by separate, non-soap products that affect more than the surface skin layer and do not get washed away by surfactants and other ingredients that shaving soaps require.  I appreciate the detailed explanation of different strategies that vendors use to achieve desired post shave feel - or the fleeting illusion of it. 

As always, best of luck Frank.


PS  IMO and with all due respect, the bottles are the secondary content of your post Frank.  That said, I also prefer the square bottle, and for the same reason Darktrader.

I’d vote for the rectangle bottle. I like the premium, high quality fragrance vibe it visually communicates. In addition to the ease of storage. The round to me looks like some mass produced cheap swill from KMart..

Ditto on rectangular and for the same reasons of shelf usage stated.

Is the black infinity glass bottles an option Frank? Very nice write and great points as well

Is the black infinity glass bottles an option Frank? Very nice write and great points as well

I have the Black Glass jars but not the bottles. I can look into them but they are expensive as all heck even at wholesale.

Update:

I wanted to let you know that for the last 5 months behind the scenes  I’ve been working with a certified organic chemist and certified cosmetic chemist who I’ve been working with for the last 20 plus years along with one of if not the largest skincare & hair care ingredient companies in the world.. The same company that myself my chemist friend and the company’s development team worked on to develop what is my  EOS Complex, which is a whole other story. I’ll share one of these days.

After much studying and contemplating  I came to the conclusion and made a decision to dive head first into serious skincare products that combine both the best natural ingredients along with the latest technically advanced man made active  environmentally friendly ingredients. 
So as a result of this I’ll be adding a few new serums, lotions and other products to the ETHOS product line up. The only two serums that I currently offer that are staying in the ETHOS product line up but have been slightly modified are the Remede serums for both Normal and Dry skin. All the others will no longer be on the website or at my vendors. Those two serums are oil based as you know and there are skin types that need them.  All the other serums that will be coming down the pipeline will be brand new and very specific in their purpose. I’ll be doing an in depth explanation on them as their released.

When I started on this journey into making wet shaving products a couple of years ago coming from being a product developer in the personal care industry I made a decision that if I was going to get into it that I would bring  skincare technology to the wet shaving community. Something I didn’t see happening at the time and thought was much needed.  Remember I have been a wet shaving hobbyist for about 20 years and used all the same products that you do but being a product developer I always knew there was much more out there that was literally unseen in wet shaving products. 

Yes there are benefits that are gotten by the butters & oils found in shave soaps with some having more than others as I’m sure you’ve experienced and the same goes for some of the shave balms but all the formulas I’ve seen were what I call surface dwellers. Meaning ingredients that only address the epidermal layer of the skin. A good thing in most cases but these are only temporary benefits. Kind of like using Vaseline hand lotion on dry hands. Yes does it make your hands feel soft, but does it do anything to actually improve the condition of the skin? The answer to that is no it doesn’t as it doesn’t contain any active ingredients but rather very large molecular weight surface dwelling ingredients.  Once washed off, the hands will be no different than before you used it. Ingredients that address the Dermis layer of the skin are what’s needed to improve the skin when used on a continuous basis. An their are so many variables based on age, skin types, skin issues etc. So that’s why there is a need for a variety of specific to the skin type products to choose from.

This needs to be said . A shave soap can only do so much for skin improvement. Yes can you add active ingredients that will address the Dermis layer into a shave soap formula? Absolutely that’s why my shave soaps contain the EOS Complex which is loaded with them and I also add other skin beneficial ingredients to my soap bases as well.  An the real benefits of those ingredients can be felt with continuous usage. The majority of shave soaps out there do not contain these types of ingredients but mostly rely on the butters & oils which are often related to what most call “ Post Shave “  but there again these are surface dwelling ingredients that make your skin feel soft but it’s only temporary, much like the hand cream scenario I mentioned before.  An heck lately I’m seeing shave soaps containing silicones like Dimethicone and even Polymers. These will give your skin a very smooth hand feel and I’ve seen many reviews saying the post shave is amazing on these products when in reality these ingredients again are surface dwellers that do little or nothing to help improve the skin. In fact some can in the long run can cause other skin issues just like they do in haircare where the hair gets a build up of them which can cause, flyaway hair, dryness, brittleness, build up not allowing much needed moisture in which in many cases results in hair breakage. This is especially true when combined with the use of hot tools like blow dryers and hot curling irons and straightening irons. Silicones are in so many hair products nowadays and basically a cheap alternative to more expensive high quality natural oils.

Also another senecio. Let’s take shampoo and compare it to Shave soap. What’s the main purpose of shampoo?  It’s simply to cleanse the hair and scalp! Can conditioning ingredients be added to the shampoo? The answer is yes. Will those conditioning ingredients work as well as a stand alone hair conditioner or hair treatment? The answer is nope, not even close. Reason is the cleansing surfactants basically counter act those ingredients and in many cases just wash them down the drain along with the lather.  So can a Shave soap provide the same skin benefits as a stand along skin lotion, cream, serum, treatment? The simple answer is no it can not in comparison.

So that’s why I feel that although I’ve added about as much active skin beneficial ingredients into my soaps without going down the path of relying on just over super fatting or using things like silicones or any other surface dwelling temporary feel good ingredients. As  my main focus is on post shave products that bring the maximum skin improving ingredients for all types of skin and skin needs to the wet shaving community.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my long explanation but I thought it was time to not only announce my plans on future products but also to add some info based on information known in the scientific world of skin and hair care.

So lastly I need a little input as I’m going back and forth on the glass bottles to put these products in. Some will be in the glass serum bottles I have already been using but some need to be in a slightly smaller bottle so I can keep prices to a reasonable level.

So below are two photos of bottles  I’m considering and they are both 1.7 oz size. The photos are showing them with sprayers on them but they will have serum or lotion pumps on them in the sliver brushed Aluminum as that’s associated with the ETHOS brand.

So what one do you guys like better and why?


Thank you and great shaves! 

That sounds like truly a landmark announcement to me.  Post shave feel will be substantially more addressed by separate, non-soap products that affect more than the surface skin layer and do not get washed away by surfactants and other ingredients that shaving soaps require.  I appreciate the detailed explanation of different strategies that vendors use to achieve desired post shave feel - or the fleeting illusion of it. 

As always, best of luck Frank.


PS  IMO and with all due respect, the bottles are the secondary content of your post Frank.  That said, I also prefer the square bottle, and for the same reason Darktrader.

Thank you for the encouraging words my friend and thanks for your input about the bottles. I think I got the answer I was looking for and I’m going with the thick bottom square bottle. I can also use them for Aroma Extract blends which I will be offering in the Personal Blends Collection.